Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-05-03
miscellaneous.
Welded to Business.

b1 AlSS. M Ls hA1NEs
+" We. don't have to worry about
girls, thank goodness" David At
wood said to his acquaintances when
they complained of the kitchen des-
pot; 6 my wife does ber own, work. ~
He was tipped back in an open
chair while he talked, and looked the
comfortable prosperous business man
he was. ralrs IL .., -,..r.- Sea:
g run my end of the work. he
continued, g and my wife runs hers,
so we get on all right su
Then he stepped over to see chum
in another, office, and chatted on pol
itics Until dinner, time, when he went
1t only took him fifteen minutes to
eat his dinner, then he had a nap
His little daughter~had usually eaten
and gone tossclIool when he came
She knew her father by sight
That was about aal.E o7auitfrG 1T
His wife was 1alwaysI busy making
home. comfortable for him. 1t took
her the whole forenoon to cook din
ncr for him, and she walked miles,
mechanical motion, from the pantry
to the dining-room, and back again.
Sometimes she sang as she worked. :.
She liked to hear n human voice. "a
( Pinned up near the clock was this
psalm off life3 which he5sometimes
stopped to read, while She waited
dinner for David. 1t sounded good.
Forenoon and afternoon and night-forenoou
and AFTERNOON and night fcrenoon and what :
veal tst + 4 sI. sl.sls liaf s a,li
This afternoon psalm. this night q prayer
And timeis conquered. and Thy crown is won
David said he, couldn't see any
sense in it, hut his wife thought il
rested her in some way to,read it.
That David Atwood was supremeiy
selfish never occurred to Mrs. At
woods husband. His wife never
went anywhere, but, she was a free
agent-she could have gone, if she
had wanted to. ..t.
Wilkie Collins. in one of his minor
novels, has man who says to his
wife, in answer to her solicitations ::
+" You don't want to travel. You
won't Iikeit. never do.'
When she suggested a sea voyage,
he said:
i"You won't like the water. You'll
be sea-sick. I always am.
Mrs. Atwood was not a complain
ing woman. She would have liked as
much attention as n good cook gets,
but her excellent meals were eaten
and never discussed. Once her hus-
band said to his confidential friend
My wife makes elegant coffee
and the best pies ever ate anywhere,
but between you and me I'd rather
run around to Smack's and take q
cup of bouillon and a sandwich, than
to sit down to the best table L ever
saw" /" ,-.-t -..t..-
Such is the ingratitude of men and
republics.
/" Atwood must be getting rich, -
the neighbors said.
He was. Some day he intended &c
move into a larger house, but as
things were rinning smoothly, he. in.
vested his money safely, and took
things easy.
He did not even notice that his
wife was getting old. He would have
laughed at the idea.
But one day a neighbor asked the
little girl if her mothers hair wasn't
getting white on top.
The child said she didn't know
She wasn't tall enough to see, and
her mother never found time to sit
down. .t
The. truth came to David Atwood
by strange revelation. a,
His wife had once or twice COM
planned of needing some rest and rec
reation, and he had suggested that
she hire girl. tl ~s .
Now; the rest had come.
She, who never sat down, or ceased
the monotonous- grind of life for o
moment, was lying here in the best
parlor among the pictures and books
she had busted every day, with NJ
thought of any household cares tc
trouble her.
He could shear his little daughter
crying above stairs. If his owr
heart had not been broken, he couIC
have sorrowed for her, who had lost
her best friend.
He was holding his wife's hand
1t was cold and unresponsive. Hi:
hot tears falling upon it awakened ne
sensation. Oh, how much good il
would have done her poor tired heart
if he had occasionally held her hand
in that fove-Iike clasp when she was
alivet
Now it was too late.
How was It that they had drifted
so far apart, they who in the happy
days of their courtship had only
lived for each other?